sometimes sarah writes

ten on ten [february edition]

2012-02-10T06:11:00.000-08:00

today is my mama's birthday! i'm bummed i can't be there to celebrate with her, so i'm dedicating this ten on ten to her! happy birthday, mamacita!

one photo. every hour. for ten hours.

[1] an apple a day... [2] yummy, crunchy breakfast [3] my friday jam. [why have i not heard of this band before?!] thank you, sam! [4] a gift from my sweet coworker, jillian! it is friday after all! (: [5] beautiful piece of an art display at work [6] working for the weekend... [7] home sweet home. package waiting at my door. (: [8] my new toy! [9] getting reacquainted with an old friend [10] the part of the day i'd been most looking forward to... slipper time!

mail time

2012-02-02T18:06:00.000-08:00

i was so happy to arrive home tonight and find a package sitting at my door! it was from my blogging friend, michelle (: i opened it up to find some perfect gifts for making it through these next 6 weeks of winter! [right, punxatawney?!]

i don't know if there's anything better to receive than something pretty, something chocolate-y, something pamper-y, and lip gloss!

new year blogging party [introducing michelle!]

2012-01-31T06:37:00.000-08:00

a few weeks ago, i saw the opportunity to be part of a blogger party with alycia, casey and danielle for the new year. i like blogging, i like parties, and so far, i've liked the new year so i signed myself up! each blogger was given the name of another blogger to get to know and to send a sweet little package to. [i like friends, i like gifts... can it get any better?!]

i was partnered with michelle from mish lovin' life.

considering i have about 78 pictures of myself in the exact. same. pose. i was excited to get to know michelle! as we've been emailing back and forth the last couple of weeks, i've learned that she really does love life! michelle is such a positive spirit. oh, and she lives in san diego. i've got to say i'm pretty jealous. but she insists rochester looks just as nice. [see how positive she is?!] michelle writes about her daily adventures, and i usually find myself cracking up at her posts.

michelle is training with her man for a marathon. as in 26.2 miles. stop by her blog and send her some encouragement!

michelle, i've loved getting to know you! i can't wait to see where life takes you!

hello you, you're gorgeous!

2012-01-30T15:35:00.000-08:00

hello, comedy shows from the 90s...

i was still feeling quite under the weather this weekend, so it was mostly spent on the couch watching 3rd rock from the sun on netflix. did/does anyone else watch this show? i was so excited when i saw that it was on netflix because i remembered finding it hilarious when i was younger. and fortunately i was happy to find it still makes me laugh out loud. i mean, seriously...

i have sat here watching that clip over and over and it cracks me up every. single. time. i may or may not say that to myself in the mirror now.

hello, fantastic homemade dinner...

last night stud and i made a pizza. it was pretty amazing if i do say so.

pepperoni and banana peppers are one of our favorite combinations. delish.

and finally, hello, pretty new embroidery hoop art...

you make me smile every time i leave or come home. thanks for being so cheery.

random thoughts on a thursday

2012-01-26T20:05:00.000-08:00

- i've been fighting a cold and sore throat for the last few days. the cold thinks it's going to win the battle this evening. but i'm fighting back hard with a fleece blanket and a cup of green tea.

- i'm excited to work on a new decoration for my front door this weekend. in the fall i made one out of a grapevine wreath and felt flowers. for christmas, i made a yarn wreath. i decided for the spring i'm going to make embroidery hoop art.

- taxes. do they stress anyone else out? they worry me. i'm always afraid i'm not filing them correctly. and my fears were confirmed this past year when i got hit with fines for making a mistake in 2007-2008. do you know how much interest builds up in 4 years? no wonder they wait that long to tell you you're in trouble. this year i've been receiving more forms than usual from taking a class last year and because i now have an hsa with my health insurance. here's to hoping i do it all correctly. and then [maybe] show me the money?!

-God is good. even when i don't acknowledge Him. i have to keep reminding myself to thank Him for this winter. my first two in new york were pretty rough. i do like snow, but really only when i have nowhere to be and i can curl up on a couch and watch it fall and drink hot chocolate. last year, the snow started falling in november and didn't stop until april. it was a hard season for me mentally and spiritually. summer eventually came and with His help, i was able to get some perspective and healing. the fall was long and mild and wonderful.

and now, it's winter. this year the temperatures have been way above normal and i think we've had a foot of snow total. it's been wonderful. my headspace has been good. so i remind myself to give thanks.

You stay the same through the ages

Your love never changes

there may be pain in the night but joy comes in the morning

-jesus culture, Your love never fails

why i love him [vol. 2]

2012-01-24T19:27:00.000-08:00

me [holding up two nail polishes in front of john's face while he's working on the computer]: which color should i put on?

john: not black. you have a black coat. and it'll look all dark and goth and stuff.

me: move over. black is glam now. [pulls up a few pins on pinterest to prove point]

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john: ok, yeah. go with black. it matches your retinas.

and really, he would know...

life smells like a rose...

2012-01-20T11:58:00.000-08:00

this post actually has nothing to do with roses, but that's a lyric in one of the songs in the new muppet movie! if you haven't seen the movie yet, do yourself a favor and see it! [is it still in theaters? if not, i'm sorry]. ahem... sidetracked...

a little look at life recently through my ~~not-so-much-an-i~~phone...

snow day!

my stud brought me a ~~fish~~ cannoli

date night with my man at olive garden

i may have a drinking problem ;)

sneak peek of a project i'm working on for my bedroom

beautiful sunset on my drive home

can't beat ice cream. unless there's a warm choc chip cookie underneath (:

happy weekend, friends!

linking with jeanette, lindsay, heather and carissa

bedroom [inspiration]

2012-01-19T05:17:00.000-08:00

the inspiration workshop with gussy sews is back! the prompt for this month is bedroom.

full disclosure: in every apartment i've lived, my bedroom is always the last room i decorate. ideally it would be first. i'd create a relaxing space to retreat to each evening. but in reality, it is forgotten about and used pretty much only for sleeping. my kitchen and dining room and living room get my attention because those are the rooms people see! case in point here's what my bedroom looks like this evening:

things of note:

1] my toolbox currently resides in my bedroom.
2] yes, i did make my bed, but that's more of an obsessive compulsive thing for me.
3] target bags strewn across the floor. maybe it really is time for an intervention.
4] and last but not least, there's a down comforter bundled up on my papasan chair. it's been a crazy winter here. some nights it's just too warm for the down comforter, other nights it's a usual winter, freezing, and it's my best friend. so i currently keep two comforters at the ready. it really adds to the luxurious vibe i have going on ;)

but... there is hope! i've done a good amount of decorating to the rest of my living space last year and decided to start focusing on my bedroom this year. thanks to pinterest, i'm full of inspiration [and maybe a little bit of coveting ;) ]

my ideal bedroom would include the following things:

fireplace

source

reading nook

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rustic features

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and a statement piece

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i feel more relaxed just looking at these pictures! and hopefully i'll have some more to share of my own room in the next few weeks. happy thursday, friends!

see more bedroom inspiration here...

old yeller

2012-01-18T10:25:00.000-08:00

we recently had tenants move out of the building i live in, and they left behind a chair. once i saw it i couldn't get it off my mind. a call to my landlord and the chair was sitting in my dining room. extra seating + sweet vintage find + all for free = an amazing day for this girl.

i knew the perfect spot for the chair... right where my christmas tree was ! i don't think i've ever been more excited to take down a tree after christmas.

say hello to old yeller!

and here it is close to its actual color...

it's old and yellow and i. love. it. i'm a fan of its straight lines and its cute little buttons. i may try sanding and restaining the legs and cleaning it up a bit. may. there's just something about its current condition that makes me like it more.

have you had any sweet finds recently?

snow day

2012-01-13T10:48:00.000-08:00

today the snow is finally falling in western new york! i had already scheduled to take today off, and i've got to say, not having anywhere to be while it snows makes it even prettier.

today has been a day of rest. the last two years i have been fortunate enough to have the week between christmas and new year's off. i've gone to visit family in new jersey during that week and have loved the feeling of being able to take a deep breath while i'm there. being away from home means that i have no obligations, no responsibilities, and, consequently, no stress. i have come to cherish that time. it's an opportunity to just stop and breathe, without having to worry about all the things that normally consume my day. it's a feeling i want to capture and preserve throughout the year, not just during the holidays. so i scheduled myself a little breathing time. (:

today i'm catching up on some tv shows and doing a little creating. this recipe is cooking in the crockpot for dinner, making my apartment smell like a fiesta.

i have been and will continue shoveling throughout the day, but i'm welcoming the breaths of fresh air. i'm soaking in the snow [literally and figuratively ;) ] and taking moments to smile to myself at its beauty.

smiling is good for the soul, you know.

ten on ten [january edition]

2012-01-10T10:36:00.000-08:00

one photo, every hour, for ten hours.

[1] a peek into my makeup bag [2] poptarts. the breakfast of champi[gn]ons. [my last name (: spelled with a gn, but pronounced champion!] [3] signing prayer cards for our students at work [4] highlight of my morning = text from my stud [please excuse the fuzz on my phone!] [5] my tuesday jam [6] sunlight. in january. in western new york! [7] but things are still brown (: [8] grocery [9] shopping [10] home. and experimenting with bokeh light.

oh hello, 2012

2012-01-07T20:19:00.000-08:00

seven days in and i'm posting my new year's resolutions! it's still the first week of the year, which means they're legit nyr's [new year's resolutions], right? right.

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i love the motivation and hope that a new year brings. the clean slate it offers. my mind feels open to dream, and dream big. and i know God may have completely different plans for my 2012, but if He's ok with it, these are the things i resolve.

1. open an online shop. i spent this past summer thrifting and yard sale-ing it up. i've enjoyed decorating my home with vintage finds and crafty-ness, and i want to open a shop to share my style.

2. decorate my dining room wall. i've had these frames since the summer and basically, i'm tired of talking about hanging them and staring at them scattered across my floors! i have two more to stain and then these beauties are finding a home in my dining room.

3. pay off my credit card debt. i got hit with several major car repairs in 2011. and some major car repair bills. i also found out i'd incorrectly filed part of my taxes in 2007 and 2008, resulting in some more money owed. but, i want to work harder to be responsible with my money this year, create a budget for myself, and pay off my credit card.

4. redesign my blog. i hope to create a look that better represents me, and i'm hoping to teach myself a bit about design in the process. it's a fun way to get to exercise some creativity.

5. read at least one book a month. this is kind of like an essential nyr, isn't it? i got a kindle fire for christmas and love it, which makes me even more excited about this resolution. a few books i plan to read this year...

i am almost finished with the 5th harry potter book and plan on reading books 6 and 7 this year. i also want to read a few recommended books for becoming an indie business owner: craft, inc. and the handmade marketplace. any other suggestions, friends?

6. keep growing my hair. i chopped it to just a few inches short four years ago and since then i've tried to let it grow out, but have always gotten too impatient or found a cute short cut that i wanted to try and ended up starting all over again. this time around i'm more determined than ever to let it grow out and it's paying off! my hair is the longest it's been in a long time and i love that i can pull it back in a ponytail again. that right there has been motivation enough to keep growing it out!

2012 has already been off to a sweet start. new york is having an unusually mild winter, resulting in very little snow so far. i've spent some good time with good friends. i have resolutions that excite me, and i'm full of hope for where this year will take me!

linking up with heather

a second chance

2012-01-04T05:44:00.001-08:00

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this week 2 years ago i left my home and family in new jersey to became a resident of new york, wondering what life was going to look like. to be completely honest, the last 2 years have been tough. i had such strong ideas of what i hoped for, it made for a pretty rough time. i think a lot of it was that i expected things to happen to me.

i expected the job offer i took to be the job for me, finally launching me on my career.
i expected best friends to just appear.
i expected to be busy with social commitments and new endeavors that people put in front of me.
i expected to be engaged, then married.

can we say, entitlement much?

john and i had spent a considerable amount of time waiting and praying for me to move, and i thought that when i was finally able to, the clouds would part and angels would sing and we'd get a happily ever after.

life is no fairy tale.

and it's taken me 2 years to realize that my expectations were way too... selfish. they were about me, me, me.

i've spent the last 2 years playing the blame game. i blamed john for not being who i thought he was or not making enough time for me [read: basically all my free time]. i blamed other people for not "reaching out" enough when i moved. i blamed God for opening doors and then letting me down.

eek. it's shameful to even type all of that out.

i allowed disappointment and frustration and anger to build up in me. i closed myself off from soaking in moments because they weren't what i thought they would be like. i shut myself down and isolated myself.

i was feeling pretty depressed in december about this life i had created here and about who i was becoming. because God is so good, a much needed holiday break spending time with family and friends helped rekindle the me i like being and renewed a sense of hope for my life.

i spent time owning up to my part in my own miserableness. or really, my whole. this wasn't anyone's fault except my own.

and this year i am claiming a second chance for myself.

i am fighting an internal battle that's saying it's too late to change. i'm stuck on this path. things are not going to get better.

but with the beginning of a new year comes motivation. and i might as well ride with it, right? (:

so i'm saying do-over. i want to use what i've learned and reach out. life is no good when you're busy looking in at yourself. i want to reach out to others, in friendship, in service, in thankfulness.

just because the last few years haven't been as pretty as i'd hoped, it doesn't mean the next few can't be. i want to look at life with open eyes and an open heart, to embrace it, whatever it may look like. i want to rely on His strength, to take Him up on His promises and live a life that isn't ordinary. i want to allow Him to work in me, to change me, to mold me, and to shape me into what He desires of me. and i want to surrender my expectations, so that i can accept His plans.

:: He who was seated on the throne said,

“I am making everything new!”

Then he said, “Write this down,

for these words are trustworthy and true.”

[rev 21:5]

christmastime

2011-12-28T13:55:00.000-08:00

just a few pictures of the goodness this week has held...

last minute ~~shopping~~ crafting to finish up some gifts

christmas ~~morning~~ afternoon [we had to wait for my sister to get out of work to exchange gifts this christmas! longest. day. ever. (: ]

why yes, we do have matching fleece pants (:

and of course there have been plenty of good eats this week...

there's no place like home for the holidays (:

oh happy day

2011-12-21T06:46:00.000-08:00

today was my last day of work for 2011! hello 12 days of vacation! i have so much to be looking forward to...

-in the next two days i'll be hustlin' and bustlin' [not to mention huffin' and puffin'] and hoping to finish making my christmas presents! if all goes as planned, i'll share after christmas so i don't spoil any surprises! (:

oh deer, you have no idea the [unrelated to christmas] plans i have for you.
let's just say hunting season isn't over in this home.

-john and i leave saturday for a road trip to the motherland, otherwise known as new jersey. we'll be visiting with my family for almost a week! 6 days of christmas festivities, eating holiday food, sleeping in, lounging around, and lots of relaxing, including some reading, playing wii with the fam, and seeing some friends who will also be in town! i'm so excited! i just can't hide it!

ok, yes, technically, this picture is from several years ago.
but really, is there anything better to associate
with things i get excited about besides ice cream?!

-and last, but not least... pinterest! i have given in. i have joined the dark side. i have made my obsession official. my invitation came this afternoon, the perfect way to kick off this little break (: come follow me!

i just love this time of year! (:

"then there was a party"

2011-12-19T06:02:00.000-08:00

some friends introduced me to this video about the christmas story and i just had to share with you! (: these kids are so cute! enjoy!

Jesus said, “let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them,
for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” [matthew 19:14]

a sweet aroma

2011-12-14T06:34:00.000-08:00

i peeled back the layer of skin, exposing bright, juicy orange wrinkles. a strong, pungent odor caught my nosehair. fresh citrus, causing my nose to sting and my eyes to tear.

i mentally compared it with the smell, or lack thereof, of clementines i'd had just a couple weeks ago. these orbs were not fresh. when i peeled back their layers, i was not overwhelmed by their scent.

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i thought about smells. and about our fragrance. and i asked myself if in this holiday season i smelled strongly of Jesus.

in a time where it's easy to get caught up with thoughts of needing to buy this or that, having to bake and cook treats and side dishes for party after party, to decorate our home to perfection, to display flawlessly wrapped gifts, to smell dull with the hustle and bustle of the season, i pray we will remember why it is we celebrate Christmas.

that we would bask in His fragrance and carry it with us through our days. that He would be our greatest gift this year. that the aroma of Jesus would radiate from us.

i pray that you will think often of Him. of how it is because of Jesus, His descent to earth, His life as a man, His death and His resurrection that we are filled with hope and joy during Christmastime.

there's a song i used to sing as a child that filled my heart as i ate my clementine. i hope the beauty of Jesus fills your life this Christmas, friends.

may the fragrance of Jesus fill this place [may the fragrance of Jesus fill this place]

may the fragrance of Jesus fill this place [lovely fragrance of Jesus]

rising from the sacrifice

of lives laid down in adoration

may the glory of Jesus fill His church [may the glory of Jesus fill His church]

may the glory of Jesus fill His church [radiant glory of Jesus]

shining from our faces

as we gaze in adoration

may the beauty of Jesus fill my life [may the beauty of Jesus fill my life]

may the beauty of Jesus fill my life [perfect beauty of Jesus]

fill my thoughts, my words, my deeds

my all I give in adoration

[-graham kendrick]

but thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place. for we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing [2 corinthians 2:14-15]

grace

2011-12-13T06:07:00.000-08:00

right now john is sitting in the dining room studying and i am in the living room with my thoughts. tomorrow he takes his last final of the semester. one step closer. he is working towards earning his bachelors in english and special education. he spent his twenties touring in bands and living in florida with his brothers becoming a massage therapist [luuuuucky me ;) ] after the touring thing ended, he decided he wanted to become a teacher.

to say it's been a long journey feels like an understatement. he has to continue to work while in school, which limits the number of classes he can take in a semester.

this particular semester has been pretty trying for us. he had to take a class on monday and wednesday evenings. tuesdays and thursdays were taken up by homework and other things that he's a part of. in other words, we got pretty used to not really spending any time together, let alone really even seeing each, until the weekend.

as we're almost ready to put this one behind us, i've been thinking a little bit about what i can take away from these last few months. and i think a big part of that is that you can only do what you can do, and it's not worth it to feel guilty about all the rest of things you "should" be doing.

along with my fun car issues of late, john's had his own as well. and for him, it probably means looking for a new car. which will come with a car payment and an increase in his insurance. his car has barely passed for driveable the last few weeks, but the stress of the end of the semester has led to just driving it and waiting til this week to start shopping for a new vehicle.

i am really good at stressing out. when i was younger, my mom would tell me that she was afraid i was going to get an ulcer before i turned 18. i didn't, but it didn't change the fact that my default mode is to worry. and so i worried [and worry] about john's car. and i wanted him to take care of it right away.

but with everything else he had going on, he really just had to focus on finishing the end of the semester strong and deal with the car later. our prayers needed to simply be, "Lord, please let this car keep running until the end of the semester."

that doesn't sit well with my worrywart self, but it seems the class i'm taking this semester is grace. i'm learning that it's ok to give yourself a break when you don't do all the things you want to do or said you were going to do. i'm learning that sometimes you can only do what's right in front of you, first things first, and not worry about all the other things. i'm learning that life really does happen in seasons, and even when they seem forever long, there is going to be a day where i will look back at this season. i'm learning to extend grace to myself.

He promises not to give us more than we can handle, and even though sometimes it can feel like there is too much, those are the times i need to remember to cling even tighter to this promise. that's when i need to give my worry to Him and take hold of trust and find my rest in His loving arms.

and He is faithful. john has gotten where he needs to go. and he's almost done with another semester. [i'm so proud of him.] and he just informed me that his car goes into the shop on thursday, right after his semester finishes. now we can start praying about the finances. (:

i know this post was kind of long so if you're still reading, thanks. (: i feel like i've been getting caught up in a lot of blogland activity with link ups and holiday posts and such and that's not bad, but when i first started this blog [before anyone was reading], i shared more than pictures of my home and crafts. i wrote about the things i was thinking about, the ways God was revealing Himself to me, the revelations that helped me to grow. and i want to do a bit more of that in this next year. [which also means you can look forward to a post on my 2012 goals :-P]

ten on ten [december edition]

2011-12-10T15:21:00.001-08:00

[1] morning [2] tea [3] leftovers for brunch. delish. [4] we finally had snow! [5] my stud. we drove my car into town today so he got to use my sunglasses. (: love. [6] crafty shopping [7] picking my stud up from work [8] saturdays = craft time [9] starting to cook dinner [10] shrimp linguine for dinner. it may have been the best idea we had all day.

it was such a beautiful day. western ny finally got snow that stuck around! it just hasn't quite felt like christmas time without it. it was perfect... it snowed through the night and the sun shone bright all day. here are a few more pictures i just had to share:

holiday decorating

2011-12-07T11:35:00.001-08:00

oh friends, have you tuned in to the frank sinatra holiday station on pandora? it is the perfect music for sitting in the glow of christmas lights, drinking hot chocolate, and wrapping presents!

this week's inspiration workshop is holiday decorating. confession: i've been decorating since the weekend before thanksgiving! i knew i'd be visiting family thanksgiving weekend and i wanted to be able to come back to christmas!

here are a few pictures of what my home looks like for the holidays:

lots of lights and candles, bringing the outdoors inside with the berry wreath and pine cones, and plenty of nostalgia with a tree full of ornaments that i received growing up (:

how are you decorating for christmas?

rad in plaid [what i wore]

2011-12-06T19:43:00.000-08:00

while i was home last weekend, my sister took a ~~few~~ bunch of pictures of me. which besides sounding completely narcissistic means i get to participate in what i wore wednesday! [woot woot!]

the jeans i was wearing came from a clothing swap i participated in with some lovely ladies.

if you have never been part of a clothing swap before... seriously, have your friends go through their closets and collect clothes they aren't wearing anymore. get together for a girls night and have everyone bring their clothes. shop and swap until you drop and flop! you feel great afterwards because a) you got to clean out your closet of things taking up space you never wear, b) you get new clothes to fill up said space, c) you get to spend time with friends and d) it was all for free!

shirt: target

white tank: hanes. mens section.
[do yourself a favor and pick some of these up! they're comfy and perfect for layering. i wear them underneath so many of my outfits.]

jeans: american eagle

moccasins: target

i am so not a model.and i'm sure i'll look at these pictures in a few ~~years~~ days and be embarrassed about them but just laugh it off instead. (:

i asked heather to help me with poses. or to at least tell me when i was looking ridiculous so i could stop. instead she just kept snapping and got these gems.

or what i'd like to call, the outtakes...

proper diving form i'm sure

hello crazy eyes

sometimes i do the robot. sometimes i pretend i'm a pirate doing the robot?

happy wednesday, friends!

also linking up here:

love[rug]

2011-12-05T05:41:00.001-08:00

last week some friends and i took a little trip to our local christmas tree shop for a little girls night out/shopping trip. i wasn't really planning to buy anything because i'd been there a couple of weeks ago and had already picked up some decorations for the season, but then i came across a display of chindi rugs and i couldn't tear myself away!

the rugs were marked for $2.99 and as usual, i had a hard time making a decision on which one(s) i wanted. i carried around four of them in the store with us until we went to check out. i decided to get three. the cashier rang me up and then said something to the tune of '$5 and change.' um, excuse me?

the rugs were on sale for... wait for it...

74 cents.

even the cashier couldn't believe it.

and i left with all four rugs.

i love the color they add to my home. and because they are small i can see myself moving them around when i catch the redecorating bug. you can't beat a no-cost makeover!

God is so good, friends. especially in the little things. i hope you are blessed by His good and perfect gifts on this lovely monday.

a hershey holiday

2011-11-30T13:49:00.001-08:00

i'm finally ready to share my thanksgiving weekend adventures! [or should i say, prepare for picture overload. (: ] fortunately i was too busy eating on thanksgiving to take any pictures, so i only have the rest of the weekend to show you. i spent thursday with john and his family, and on friday, i drove down to new jersey to visit mine. we woke up super early on saturday and drove to hershey, pa. there were seven of us, in one van. good times, friends, good times.

the trip was special for my family because my parents used to take us to hershey on thanksgiving night when we were younger. we hadn't gone in about 10 years, so it was nostalgic to see it all again. and yes, things really do look bigger when you're younger (:

we started off at chocolate world, where we took a tour of the chocolate making process, did a little shopping, ate some lunch and went on a trolley ride. i think heather, laura and i were most excited about the trolley because it had been one of our favorite parts of the trip. each trolley has a tour guide who tells you about the history of hershey. throughout the ride, multiple stops are made as "characters" (a factory worker, milton hershey's mother...) join you to sing christmas carols. the big finale? the trolley picks up santa claus, who has a list with your name on it and gives you an early christmas present. the first time that happened to us as kids, we were so surprised that santa knew our names! we couldn't wait to see kaylee's face when it happened to her.

another thing we were pleasantly surprised to find out? all of the characters you meet on the ride are clearly played by one person. one thing we were never sure about was how they got all around town to meet up with the trolley at the right time. as luck would have it, this time around another trolley crossed the road in front of us and we were able to see. the person rides on the back of the trolley and does all of his costume changes there! kind of a crazy sight! but woot woot! we finally solved that mystery. (:

after chocolate world we went to hershey park. there were rides to be ridden and kettle corn to be eaten. we waited until it got dark and took a ride on a monorail above the park to see it all lit up with christmas lights.

after a very full day, we my dad drove us home. he's such a road warrior.

the holiday weekend flew by, but i'm so thankful i got to experience hershey with my family this year. and so was kaylee...

on sunday morning during breakfast, she turned to my dad and said, "the chocolate factory was awesome, pop pop!"

i don't think it gets better than that.

a reminder

2011-11-28T18:59:00.001-08:00

as responsibilities add up day after day, year after year, i find myself rely more and more on writing to-do lists and penciling in dates on a calendar to help me remember to do something or be somewhere.

i'm not that old, but it's pretty easy to forget even the basics sometimes. [anyone with me on this one?!]

things like making sure i pay my bills on time, return a phone call, or meet a deadline.

life gets busy. i allow too many things to have my attention. and before i realize it, i've forgotten something.

or how about remembering things like His faithfulness? His goodness... His love.

i had to take my car in to the mechanic last week for the fourth time in four months. i was stressed, angry, and overwhelmed by it. i was frustrated at the financial strain all of this has caused me and was feeling defeated by at the thought of ever getting out of debt, especially if things just keep happening.

the autobody shop called yesterday to say that the car was done. the moment of truth. how much would i owe.

the total? $26.98.

on top of that, i'd rented a car over the weekend to visit family and kept it for an extra day when my car still wasn't done. instead of charging me the normal $50 + taxes for a daily rental, they charged me the weekend rate, meaning i only had to pay an extra $20.

amazing. He is so amazing.

He sends me reminders, day after day, year after year. He speaks loud and clear of His desire to provide for me. He pours out His love every day.

reminders encourage and keep us pointed in the right direction.

which is why i immediately fell in love with this wooden caddy from dayspring:

it is gorgeous and a great piece for entertaining, but it is also a reminder. the gold piece on the front is stamped with this verse:

give thanks to the Lord for His unfailing love. [psalm 107:8]

every time i see it i am reminded of His unfailing love. i am reminded to give thanks. and i am reminded of His provision as it holds silverware and sits among dishes and cups and food on a dining room table in an apartment, all gifts from His hand.

*i received this product in exchange for this review from the lovely folks at dayspring and (in)courage. all opinions are my own.

give thanks thursday [happy thanksgiving!]

2011-11-24T07:47:00.001-08:00

:: we only enter into the full life if our faith gives thanks. because how else do we accept His free gift of salvation if not with thanksgiving? thanksgiving is the evidence of our acceptance of whatever He gives. thanksgiving is the manifestation of our Yes! to His grace.

-ann voskamp

Source

happy thanksgiving, friends!

i hope your day is filled with family, friends, laughter, love and gratitude [and turkey and stuffing and pie!]

in all circumstances [re-post]

2011-11-21T07:50:00.001-08:00

i reread this post i wrote two years ago at thanksgiving and wanted to share again to encourage anyone who might be going through a trying, difficult time as we are upon the holiday season...

'give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.' (1Thess 5:18)

this thanksgiving, i wanted to share something i heard regarding this verse and one small word...in. throughout my life, i think i've interpreted this instruction to read - give thanks for all circumstances. i think sometimes as Christians, we may be encouraged to give thanks for our circumstances, no matter what they may be. which is real easy to do when things are "going our way". but what about when they aren't? when you lose your job? when you can't afford your mortgage and your house is foreclosed? when yet another person you know is diagnosed with cancer? when your 9 day old niece dies unexpectedly? when you've been praying about something for weeks or months or years and God seems silent? when you feel like you just can't take any more bad news?

when my mindset is that i should be giving thanks for my circumstances, i start questioning God. i question His love, His goodness, His kindness. i ask why? i get angry, my attitude turns bitter, and i start to doubt Him.

but that is not at all what God is asking of me. He has told us to give thanks in all circumstances. this one little word makes a world of difference in my heart. our circumstances are going to be trying and, at times, unbearable. but our hearts can give thanks. we can choose a posture of gratitude. today, i'm giving thanks for my salvation, for a beautiful family and lovely friends who stand by one another in the face of tragedy, for a man who loves and supports me, and for a God who loves me, just as i am.

my circumstances are out of my control. the posture of my heart is up to me.

today, i'm giving thanks in my circumstances.

give thanks thursday [week three]

2011-11-17T06:28:00.001-08:00

this week i am so very thankful for time with my sister. heather is not only my family, but we joke that we are soul mates. we understand each other in that finish the other's sentences, grab the same shirt at target and hold it up for each other to see, and don't have to describe the way we're feeling because the other one just gets it. it was so awesome to have her here for the weekend.

i'm thankful for my strongman stud. (: i lost the key to my storage unit. the storage unit holding all of my christmas decorations! and i've been planning for a few weeks to decorate for christmas this weekend because i will be out of town for thanksgiving weekend. i got a quote from a locksmith for $65(!!!). that evening i received this:

a half hour later john was at my apartment with those very same, huge pliers. i held the lock in place for about .2 seconds before i realized that if and when this thing did break loose, things would be flying. sharp, metal things. so i stepped back and my strongman stud pulled those arms together til, sure enough, SNAP! i'm able to get into my storage unit and am ready to decorate! my man takes care of me! i'm so blessed.

i'm thankful for my mom and her desire to take care of her kids. she sent a huge care package with my sister this last weekend filled with all kinds of things that are amazing when you're living on your own and have a tight budget. (: she even bought all the brands that i usually get. i love the way she remembers those details.

and lastly, i'm thankful for thanksgiving dinners! i have apple crisp finishing up in the oven and then i'm off to a thanksgiving dinner for a church group. let the holidays begin! i hope you are all counting your blessings today, friends.

linking with alex

young dumb and in love

2011-11-15T15:53:00.001-08:00

things got a little crazy around here this weekend. crazy but good. [isn't that the best kind? (: ] my sister arrived thursday evening to visit for the weekend. three days filled with peppermint mocha lattes, lots of laughter, catching up, a work event all day saturday, a clothing swap girls night, shopping at target, and, oh yes, seeing mat kearney on tour!

mat kearney rocked our socks off. so, so incredible. i've loved his music for years. i saw him do a show for the first time in akron, ohio where it was him and just one other musician. on this tour he had brought a band. it was one of the most fun shows i've been to. probably because i can't resist dancing to his latest album. here are a few pics of the night [photo credit: first: me, two - five: buffalo.com, last: me]:

his set was amazing. it was simple, rustic and earthy. they burned incense throughout the show. the two small upright pianos were so sweet. and i'm already convinced that creating something similar to the big lighting piece in the background would be great for a reception. (:

we danced, we sang, we laughed. they played all my favorite songs. mat was so engaged with the audience. you could see that he was having just as much fun as we were. and john was impressed with him as a songwriter and musician. he went to the show because i wanted to go and came out a fan. if you have a chance to see mat kearney, go! you won't be disappointed. (:

give thanks thursday [ten on ten]

2011-11-10T04:11:00.000-08:00

ten photos. ten hours. ten reasons to be thankful.

guess who's camera battery died when they got to work? [gah, it's hard being so awesome sometimes.] i'm sure it's terribly disappointing to not get to see pictures from my workday in the office (:

[1] a morning full of his mercies [2] a new dunkin express at the gas station across from where i work! [how are gas prices in your neck of the woods?] [3] home sweet home [4] crackers and cheese for dinner. i love being an adult (: [5] prepping for a work retreat this weekend. i love event planning! [6] pumpkin spice candle. i love the smells of fall [7] books i bought at an estate sale last weekend. the new book of etiquette? i die. [8] a kitchen makeover for under $8 thanks to some new towels and mitts from the christmas tree shoppe. i am in love with this print. [9] fleece blanket my love gave me for christmas. one of the warmest and coziest things i've ever owned. [10] my sister drove up from jersey to spend the weekend with me! it's a little late, hence the blur (:

dining room update [inspiration workshop]

2011-11-09T19:36:00.000-08:00

this week's prompt for gussy's inspiration workshop is dining room! you can see an earlier post of mine about my dining room here, but i thought i'd share some more pictures because i've made a few additions.

[and no, i'm not talking about the air conditioner (: ]

the mirror clock was a gift from my sister. the pictures on the wall were taken by my talented friend, elizabeth jones.

i also picked up a tall vase from target on clearance and filled it with some sticks i found outside. i think it's a nice complement to my yarn wreath.

john said he'll find me more "substantial" sticks (:

and of course, there's still this big lonely wall. or as i'm calling it for now, the bike room...

but i'm slowly but surely making progress on the frames for it! my goal is to have it done by the holidays [whichever one that means ;) ]

it's been such a blessing to have this dining room. it's the place we gather with friends to play card games and board games. it's where we spread the fixings for pizzas all over the table and assemble our own personal pies. it's the place i sat for hours with some of my lifelong friends and caught up on life, shared our hearts and our dreams, and laughed over old memories. it's where john and i eat meals together, work together and play scrabble together. it's a place of nourishment, of the body, soul, and heart.

oreo truffles

2011-11-07T18:06:00.000-08:00

i had a couple friends over last night for a little girls night! our boys went to a hockey game, while we stayed in and talked and ate pizza and talked and i introduced them to new girl and we talked some more and pretty much was a perfect girls night. and to top it all off, we made oreo truffles. so easy, so simple.

ingredients

1 pkg (8 oz) cream cheese, softened

1 pkg oreo cookies, finely crushed

2 pkg (8 squares each), baker's semi-sweet chocolate, melted

directions

mix cream cheese and 3 cups cookie crumbs until well blended

shape into 48 (1-inch) balls.

dip in melted chocolate

place on waxed paper-covered baking sheets

sprinkle with remaining cookie crumbs

refrigerate 1 hour or until firm

we decided there was no going wrong with these. chocolate + cream cheese + oreos = in a word, delicious. so delicious in fact, that this was the only picture i got.

linked to tasty tuesday

give thanks thursday

2011-11-03T16:00:00.000-07:00

last year i took the days of november leading up to thanksgiving to write about things i was thankful for. even now, a year later, i'm learning just how important a spirit of thankfulness is. after just finishing the 31 days of change challenge with the nester, i've decided to take some time just once a week this month to reflect on my blessings. i'll use the rest of my time enjoying them. (: and because i love to name things i've decided to call this give thanks thursday. [original, right? ;) ]

this week i am thankful for my crock pot...

i've had one for a couple years but i had yet to use it! i feel totally ashamed now. i had no idea just how much i was missing out! i the crock pot made chicken quesadillas for dinner. they are delicious. and so simple.

Source

and the best part? i'm gone for a few too many hours during the day for this particular recipe, which called for only 6-8 hours. my wonderful man stopped by my apartment on his way to work a little later on in the morning and put everything in there for me. and then left me this:

he makes my heart smile.

i'm thankful for moccasins. my feet are free spirits and do not like being in shoes! but the first time i slipped them into the lining of these babies... well, they were pretty tickled. it definitely makes the transition from summer to fall a whole lot more fun.

i'm thankful for this blogging community. this whole blogging thing is so amazing to me. it's incredible to think how people are sharing their stories through the internet... encouraging, helping and inspiring. these platforms we have been given are gifts and it's so lovely to be a part of this community. being open about our struggles, rejoicing together in triumphs and just having a good laugh at life every once in awhile.

welcome, new friends! i'm looking forward to taking some time this weekend to get to check out your blogs and get to know you better.

and a big thanks to casey, jami, jenilee, nicole, gussy, julie, kristan, ashley and sarah for providing these fun opportunities for us all to connect!

what are you giving thanks for this week?

day 31 :: this is not the end

2011-10-31T19:33:00.000-07:00

i can't believe that it's day 31. all day long i've been thinking about how i need to have something profound to say to conclude this month-long challenge to cast out fear. but the truth is, today is not an ending; it's a day full of beginnings.

i named a few of my fears earlier in the month. in the last couple weeks i've made some progress:

i'm not finished decorating my dining room wall, but i have taken a few steps. i'm in the middle of redoing some of the frames, and the way they're turning out is giving me confidence that it was worth the risk of not knowing what i was doing. i'm excited to keep working on this project and to reveal it over the next few weeks.

this month has pushed me to focus a lot on writing as opposed to taking pictures. i posted a few unedited shots in my ten on ten series for this month. this fear has to do with being ok with being real and being vulnerable. pictures are a good place to start, but this also carries into what i write and share on this blog and in how i live my life. i need to not be afraid to be me, not an edited version of myself. so here's an unedited, blurry picture of me and my stud celebrating his bday at a hockey game, greasy bangs and all. (:

i'm still wrestling with anxiety and depression. the thing is it's going to take more than a month of writing about fear for me to win this battle. i'm waiting for a good day, a day i'm not struggling as much with it, and praying that on that day i can muster the courage to figure out a way to see someone to talk through these things.

i have a dentist appointment scheduled for this wednesday. to be honest, i called today to make the appointment. i didn't want to not have done it by the time i got to my last post of this 31 day challenge. accountability really does help cast out fear. (:

in this month i've taken first steps. and i'm believing these are preparing me to take next steps and bigger steps. that's why i can't just wrap this month up into a little package and put it away to gather dust. it's not the end.

fear was cast out once and for all on a cross for us, through His perfect love. and it's His perfect love that casts out our fear. but it's a choice we must make daily to live in His perfect love, abandoning our fears.

and with that, i'll say goodbye to this challenge. it has stretched me, but i have learned more about myself and more about my God. and i can only hope that maybe some part of it helped you. i'm not done writing on what i've learned and am learning. but i must admit i am feeling a bit relieved not to feel the pressure to post every day. (: thank you for joining me on this journey, friends.

sometimes sarah

2011-10-28T07:24:00.000-07:00

hi, i'm sarah! and that's john, also known as the love of my life. he goes by stud on the blog. (: i moved about a year and a half ago from new jersey to western new york to be with him. and it was totally. worth. it. [except for the whole crazy amounts of snow thing. that i refuse to get over.] i plan events by day and try to fit in friends, crafting, decorating, and blogging in the rest. i'm a grammar nerd who loves playing volleyball for no grammatical reason. i love road trips and traveling and get excited to pack for any such adventure. give me an afternoon in a coffee shop with a good book and a journal and you've made my day. i have a love affair with music and chai lattes.

i started writing back in the days of myspace and decided a couple years ago to start an actual blog to write down moments in my life so that i would have a record of them. i've moved 5 times in the last 10 years and also thought it would be a fun way to share my life with friends and family.

i've been blessed to see this whole blogging thing grow to be much more than that, as i've found friends and inspiration through the blogging community along the way.

a little more about the blog...

sometimes sarah [writes]
i write about life, sharing my decorating and diy endeavors, visits with my family, adventures with my stud, things that are on my heart, encouragements i've received from God, and anything else that makes up my journey in these days that i have been given by Him.

sometimes sarah [crafts]
i moved into a new apartment six months ago. i'm in the process of making it a home. i'm trying to do it creatively and affordably. [spell check is telling me i'm making that word up. i'm going with it.] i have found so many ideas and inspiration in the blog world for this and love sharing what i've done.

sometimes sarah [shoots]
i'm by no means a photographer, but i love to take pictures. i love it so much i'll risk my life to take pictures of a gorgeous sky while driving. um, as long as there are no other cars on the road, ok? (:

sometime sarah [eats, drinks, and is merry]
ok, so it's usually more than sometimes. i'm a foodie and a lover of all things coffee, espresso, hot chocolate, you know... caffeinated and tasty (: i love to share when we've eaten a good meal or when i've attempted to bake or cook something.

sometimes sarah [reads]
thank you for taking the time to read my blog. it is so humbling that you would take a few minutes out of your day for me. i'd love to get to know you better too! feel free to leave a comment to let me know who you are or where you blog so i can stop by (:

day 27 :: notions

2011-10-27T20:20:00.000-07:00

Source

ann voskamp writes some of the most beautiful words i've ever read. if you haven't read her book one thousand gifts yet, you are missing out [in my humble opinion]. i'm in the middle of reading it and it is changing the way i view my life so much.

foodie fun [inspiration workshop]

2011-10-27T03:00:00.000-07:00

i couldn't resist posting on this week's inspiration workshop because today we're sharing recipes! i'm sharing a simple, easy recipe for one of my favorite holiday comfort foods: corn casserole.

no joke - my family and i fight over every last bite of this during holiday meals!

ingredients:

1 [15 1/4-ounce] can whole kernel corn, drained
1 [14 3/4-ounce] can cream-style corn
1 [8-ounce] package corn muffin mix
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup [1 stick] butter, melted
1 to 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar

yep. these are all the pics i got. i was focused on getting everything together! (:

to prepare:
preheat oven to 350 degrees f.
in a large bowl, stir together the 2 cans of corn, corn muffin mix, sour cream, and melted butter. pour into a greased 9 by 13-inch casserole dish.

bake for 45 minutes, or until golden brown.
remove from oven and top with cheddar.
return to oven for 5 to 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted.
let stand for at least 5 minutes and then serve warm.

that's it! so easy! if you love cornbread and cheese this is a perfect side dish for your meals this holiday season!

recipe from the foodnetwork

what's your favorite holiday recipe?

i'm looking forward to finding more over at gussy's!

day 26 :: confidence

2011-10-26T18:49:00.000-07:00

Source

i think sometimes as christians we're told that confidence is a bad thing. we equate confidence with pride and are swift to caution that "pride cometh before a fall." [proverbs 16]

in some ways, that is true.

and yet i have been challenged this week to believe that we are called to be confident. what it comes down to is who it is in. too much confidence in ourselves does lead to pride.

but blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. [jeremiah 17:7]

we are promised that "the Lord will be [our] confidence and will keep [our feet] from being snared." [proverbs 3:26]

confidence in God is a beautiful relationship. it is a good and right thing.

fear grows in a heart that lacks confidence. it feeds on timidity.

but He has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power, love and self discipline. [2 timothy 1:7]

today i encourage you to not be afraid to be confident, but to place it in the One who is worthy.

day 25 :: [not] decorating out of fear

2011-10-25T19:50:00.000-07:00

when i read this post by the nester, i cringed. it was me. i was [not] decorating out of fear. and as i wrote in this post, i was ready to do something about it. my dining room wall isn't finished yet, but i have taken smaller steps to decorating my apartment in ways that are beautiful to me, without worrying so much about if it's "perfect."

the first thing i did was hang the owl that i'd found on this trip. i had an idea of where to put it, but i kept stopping myself from hanging it. finally one evening i came home, determined to hang it and not worry about if i didn't like it. and now? this guy greets me every morning when i get out of bed and head to the bathroom! one silly, simple thing on my wall but a step toward decorating out of confidence in my own likes and tastes.

i also decorated my walls for fall/halloween. using a coupon i had for michael's i purchased these for just $3.

and i am in the process of working on my dining room wall. i've sanded down some of the frames i'm going to hang and the next step is to tackle some other ones with this:

i have a vision in my head of what it all will look like, and there's a good chance it won't turn out that way! (: but that doesn't mean i'm not going to try. my mistake might actually turn out to be better than my original thought. and it's holding on to hopes like that that help us cast out fear and take action.

day 24 :: my love

2011-10-24T17:57:00.000-07:00

today is this guy's birthday.

i'm so thankful God gave him to me for this lifetime.

one of the biggest things we've done together to cast out fear is to say yes to our relationship and move me to new york. our very long story short, we had known each other for several years and finally started to date long distance. we knew that if we were really going to commit to a relationship100%, we would have to live near each other. and so ~~i drew the short straw~~ it seemed best that i would be the one to move. (:

it hasn't been perfect. [oh how we thought we knew each other!]

but it's been so worth it.

john,
you are strong where i am weak. i know God knew what He was doing putting us together because you give amazing massages and i love to receive them. (: you make me laugh every day. you are the silliest person i know and i love you for it. i'm so proud of your pursuit of school and of becoming a teacher. you challenge me to be a better version of myself. you give so much love to your family, friends and to people you don't even know. i love you for all these reasons and so many more.

happy birthday, love.

day 21 :: be prepared

2011-10-21T19:37:00.000-07:00

Source

troops don't go into battle without training. they don't march into war without first having learned how to fight. if we are to battle our fears, we must also prepare ourselves. paul urges us in ephesians to be fitted and ready with the armor of God:

take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. [ephesians 6:16-17]

when fear strikes, our faith and salvation will protect us, but we can do more than that. we can fight back. a sword is used to fight, to attack. it's meant to engage the enemy, to harm him. the sword is used to win a battle.

our sword is the very word of God...

the Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. [deuteronomy 31:8]

the Lord is my light and my salvation— whom shall i fear? the Lord is the stronghold of my life— of whom shall i be afraid? [psalm 27:1]

when i am afraid, i will trust in you. in God, whose word i praise, in God i trust; i will not be afraid. [psalm 56:3-4]

'do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you,' declares the Lord. [jeremiah 1:8]

so don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. [matthew 10:31]

spend time in His word. be trained, be ready. His words are not merely suggestions; they are guarantees. He will never leave, He will always rescue. we can face fear with complete confidence in the promises of His word.

linking with jami

day 20 :: give thanks for today

2011-10-20T20:04:00.000-07:00

red + blue = purple

blue + yellow = green

peanut butter + jelly = a tasty sandwich
...

anxiety + fear = worry

therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. [matthew 6:34]

my least favorite part of the week is sunday evening. for a number of reasons, i start to feel anxious as each sunday unfolds. the weekend is coming to a close. i have to return to work in the morning. i don't look forward to having to get up early again. john leaves, after spending much of the weekend with him, and i'm left alone.

i worry.

about tomorrow.

and of course, monday comes and things are just fine. there was nothing to worry about. yet i have a hard not worrying each time sunday arrives.

but Jesus commands us not to worry.

who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life? [luke 12:25]

worrying, fretting, fearing about time that has yet to come is time lost.

sometimes i feel like it's just in our "nature." but He has given us victory over our nature through His sacrifice. He gives us strength in our weakness.

our time will be filled with something. i must find something else to replace worry.

i finally started reading ann voskamp's one thousand gifts, and i am receiving so much through her words on eucharisteo, giving thanks, and how our acts of gratitude relate to the very way we perceive time.

thanksgiving makes time.

really? give thanks and get time? give thanks ... slow time down with all your attention - and your basket of not-enough time-multiplies into more than enough time.

...

the real problem of life is never a lack of time.

the real problem of life-in my life-is lack of thanksgiving.

thanksgiving creates abundance; and the miracle of multiplying happens when i give thanks-take the just one loaf, say it is enough, and give thanks-and He miraculously makes it more than enough. i have beheld suds in sun, and i have known miracles like that.

...

i redeem time from neglect and apathy and inattentiveness [and fear] when i swell with thanks and weigh the moment down and it's giving thanks to God for this moment that multiplies the moments, time made enough.

i am thank-full. i am time-full.

[pgs. 72-73]

the only way to live without fear of the future is to be fully present and thankful and open-eyed to see all the good that He has created in each moment to bless us.

i've started my own list of one thousand gifts with the hope of becoming more thanks-filled, more time-filled.

a few things i'm thankful for today:

bare feet on cold hardwood floors

a beautiful morning sky

being able to make someone laugh

being wrapped in a soft blanket as i type this post

enjoying warm food with my man and some friends while watching some hockey

what are you thankful for today?

day 19 :: it's ok

2011-10-19T18:26:00.000-07:00

i've been working at a computer since 8am this morning and i am wiped! so i decided i'm going to cast out my fear of missing a day of these 31 and say to myself, it's ok! it's ok to not have anything to say and take the rest of the night to rest my tired eyes, my strained neck and my fried head. (: have a wonderful evening, friends!

day 18 :: peace

2011-10-18T18:45:00.000-07:00

peace i leave with you;

my peace i give you.

i do not give you as the world gives.

do not let your hearts be troubled

and do

not

afraid.

[john 14:27]

i read jesus' words last night. he spoke these before he was crucified. knowing all that he was about to do for the disciples, for me, for you, he gave us peace and told us we should not be afraid. when fear overcomes my soul, i will remember his words.

day 17 :: first steps

2011-10-17T18:41:00.000-07:00

in this month of dipping my toes and hopefully diving in to casting out my fears, i'm learning that taking first steps, baby steps, helps to make the mountains look smaller and the fears more conquerable. i thought it would be good for me to remind myself of a few firsts i've had in the last week or so.

- i learned that when a recipe calls for 6 garlic cloves, you don't need to buy 6 garlic bulbs at the grocery store. because now it looks like all those vampire shows and movies you watch are starting to affect you a little too much. however i also cleaned the cloves from their skins through a nifty little trick i found on the internet. you open the bulb and pull out the cloves and put them in a metal or plastic bowl. cover the bowl with another similar bowl and shake! you know i'm not much of a cook when something as silly as shaking bowls made me feel very accomplished in the cooking world (: food can sometimes intimidate me. putting together recipes is not a gift of mine and cooking is something i've told myself i can't do or that i will never do well. i'm out to prove that little voice of fear wrong.

- i prepared and roasted my first butternut squash tonight. again, a little step, but i'm working on taking control of my health in this way.

- i took my car to get new front tires this afternoon. since moving here, i've grown to rely on john for all car-related issues. as a result, i have formed a bit of anxiety about having to do anything of that nature on my own. i'm sure that sounds silly, but the combination of a new location, a new job i didn't have time to take off from, and the process involved with finding a new place to have work done at, in addition to other things i was trying to figure out on my own led to me succumbing to the belief that i couldn't handle these things on my own. taking care of the tires myself today gave me a boost of confidence.

nothing too crazy on the list tonight, but a good reminder for me as i've reached the halfway point of this journey that battles must be won before the war.

have you taken any first steps this week?

day 16 :: knowing His voice

2011-10-17T18:22:00.000-07:00

a couple christmases ago i tried to get my niece one of those recordable storybooks. i was getting ready to move to new york and didn't want her to forget who i was. unfortunately they were new and popular and everywhere i went that carried them was sold out.

thankfully, because of things like skype and occasional visits, my niece has not forgotten me. (:

and now, thanks to the lovely people behind dayspring, i finally have a recordable storybook to give to her this christmas.

i love you head to toe is a story about a few of the things that make us wonderfully made. and as i read through the book and started thinking about my opportunity to record these words for my niece i thought about how meaningful voice is.

hearing someone's voice, and even more importantly, knowing and recognizing someone's voice is an amazing blessing. the sound of a familiar voice can bring relief, comfort, and strength. i can be having a crazy day, but talking to john in the middle of it, hearing his voice, calms me down. hearing my niece's voice on the other side of the phone brings me joy.

have you ever thought about what it would have been like for adam and eve, hearing God's voice speaking to them, the same voice that called all of creation into being?

and even though we might not necessarily be able to hear the Father's voice audibly like adam and eve, there are other ways we can know Him, like His word and through the Holy Spirit. it's important to spend time getting to know His voice, so that we may be familiar with it.

His voice casts away our fears, carries us through trouble, and lights the next step in our path. knowing His voice also keeps us from following harmful voices.

:: the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. when he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. but they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice. [john 10: 3-5]

and His voice will tell us that He loves us, head to toe.

[the book was given to me in exchange for this review; all opinions are my own.]

day 15 :: pregnancy and infant loss remembrance day

2011-10-15T09:27:00.000-07:00

today is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day.

today we light candles and remember little ones who are now in heaven, the ones God chose to not walk this earth enduring pain and sin and hardship, but to be with Him in a place of no sorrow and no tears.

today i remember my niece, tori mae, and the joy she brought us in her 9 days here on earth.

today i'm praying for those who have lost little ones that they would not know fear, but peace, comfort and hope. that they would not fear unhealthy pregnancies, losing more babies, or life without their lost one.

i can't wait to see you again tori mae.

day 14 :: when we kneel

2011-10-14T20:49:00.000-07:00

one of my good friends from college has a niece who is in need of prayer. chaia joy is only a few months old and has been diagnosed with a rare condition having to do with her heart, with only 180 cases documented worldwide. in other words, it's nothing short of a miracle that she is here.

i can only imagine what her parents are going through, the fear they must feel.

and yet they are casting it aside, living out their faith in a God who is capable of more than we can ask or imagine. they are holding fast to His truth and His promises. they believe in His healing.

chaia means life. that, in itself, is another miracle. God led her parents to give her the name of life! how amazing is that?!

they are praying this verse over her during this unbelievably challenging time:

:: I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh [ezekiel 36:26]

will you join in me in praying for this precious girl?

her parents are blogging throughout this journey at http://mustardrevolution.blogspot.com/. you can read more about chaia's life, encourage her parents through scripture and song, and be encouraged watching their testimony of God's love and goodness at what might seem to some as a dark and hopeless time. they are holding on to faith and hope. and i am believing God for a miracle. they have said it best...

[chaia wins when we kneel]

day 13 :: tonight

2011-10-13T20:00:00.000-07:00

tonight i am tired. i have a few thoughts in my head i want to write about, but my eyelids are winning this evening.

i was feeling a little anxious about not having the energy to share what's been going on in my heart and head this week. i didn't want to miss a day. i didn't want to fail.

but i'm learning that i'm not a blog every day blogger and focusing in on one topic for a month has actually helped me give some thought to this blog.

for the last few months my blogging has mostly been based around other bloggers' link parties and trying to gain new readers from it. the link ups are wonderful things and they have blessed my life. your comments and sweet words bring me so much joy.

but i was so focused on producing content that i thought other people would want to read to like my blog and on just allowing the nature of the link up to dictate what i spent my time blogging about that i lost me, who i am.

it kind of takes the fun away from blogging.

i was afraid of going unnoticed, that not having hundreds of followers would mean it wasn't worth it, that i wasn't worth it to have a blog. i forgot all the times that people have told me something i've written has helped them. i'd cultivated an attitude of discontent in my heart. i repent and give thanks. it's humbling to think that people i don't even know would take a few moments out of their day to encourage me.

it's not just a want, but i believe it's a need to be who i am. in every facet of life. and just plain and simple not worry about the number of comments a post will receive or if anyone is even reading this.

i don't want to waste my life worrying about things that don't matter.

and [if i'm really going to be honest] i want to see other bloggers as people, not just as numbers and stats. i've never been the type of person to have a ton of friends. i am built that i am best with a few close friends. so it's kind of silly to think my blog wouldn't function that way too.

in the end, it's not going to matter how many people read my blog. i'm going to be accountable only for what i do with it. am i sharing His work in my life? am i encouraging others in the race? am i spurring others on toward love and good deeds?

am i glorifying and bringing honor to Him with my blog?

i want to be able to answer yes.

day 12 :: His Word

2011-10-12T19:32:00.000-07:00

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day 11 :: forgotten

2011-10-11T18:26:00.000-07:00

i live in the shadow of being forgotten or unnoticed. i am introverted and for the first 17 or so years of my life, i was painfully shy. the thought of speaking up in class made me anxious, so i rarely did. i let my test scores and essays speak for me. i was a good student, but that didn't really help me make friends. it was easy for me to fade back into a corner, while others carried on conversation.

once i got to college, i gained confidence and began to become comfortable with who i am. it was easier to speak up and speak out. it was a place i felt accepted and known.

i've moved a few times since college, and each time, for whatever reason, my introverted, shy childhood self finds it a challenge to get to know people and be known by them. i lose some of my confidence. there are days where it's just hard.

i had put a french bread pizza in the oven for dinner tonight. while it was cooking i was journaling about feeling overwhelmed by thoughts of loneliness, rejection, jealousy, and being forgotten.

the oven beeped as the pizza finished cooking and i got up and pulled it out from the oven. i have a tendency to forget to actually turn the oven off. i think my brain pushes that thought aside as i turn the timer off. tonight though, as i was walking back into the living room to give the pizza time to cool down, i caught sight of the 350 degrees on the oven and remembered i needed to actually turn it off too. i hit the off button and my eyes fell on the time.

6:15

this probably wouldn't seem like a big deal to anyone else, but to me, it spoke into my emptiness. my birthday is june 15. i felt God saying to me, i have not forgotten you. i notice you. i know you.

i am amazed again by my God's faithfulness. He provided for my needs through numbers on a stove top. reminding me of His promises...

:: I will never leave you nor forsake you [joshua 1:5]

ten on ten [october edition]

2011-10-10T19:57:00.000-07:00

one photo, every hour, for ten hours.

[1] my favorite mid-morning snack [2] heading outside for lunch on a beautiful day [3] it was a gorgeous day-sunshine, warm temperatures and fall colors all around [4] new shirt from target + fav necklace = an outfit that makes me feel pretty! [5] encouraging card from a friend [6] photography exhibit at work. i'd like to visit all of these places! [7] hanging above my desk [8] end of the day. look closely, there's a sort of rainbow. i didn't notice it until i uploaded the picture! [9] dinner: lemony tuna pasta, a new recipe from the latest real simple magazine. [10] met up with some friends at the local smokehouse

day 9 :: you never let go

2011-10-09T19:54:00.000-07:00

we sang this song this morning in church, and i was again reminded of His ever-present, saving grace in our lives. i think if i had to pick a theme song for this month, this would be it.

even though i walk through the valley of the shadow of death
Your perfect love is casting out fear
and even when i'm caught in the middle of the storms of this life
i won't turn back
i know you are near

day 8 :: ...action!

2011-10-09T19:53:00.000-07:00

casting out fear requires action. i decided i need to hold myself accountable in some way to this this month if i really am going to spend this time casting out fear. it's kind of hard to write about something when you haven't exactly done it. here are things i know have a hold over me that i want to conquer in the next 22 days or so:

- decorate my dining room wall :: i'm sure that sounds pretty silly, but it's big and bare and i have been putting off hanging anything on it for 7 months because i fear it won't look "right." i see amazing home design on the internet and i'm afraid my place won't turn out as great. i don't want to be consumed by thoughts of what others think of me anymore. after all, it is my wall and my apartment and if i love it, that's really all that matters! and if i don't love it, i start over (:

- post unedited pictures on the blog :: i've always struggled with how i see myself, my self image. there's definitely more to write about in another post [or four], but i can't say i always like what i see in the mirror and the same goes in the camera lens. like my decorating, i make decisions in my life based on what i think others will think of me. i fear rejection and being unnoticed. i hardly, if ever, post pictures on my blog that haven't been edited to make them "better." i want to post unedited pictures because i want to learn how to be ok with myself and who i am.

- i have lived with anxiety and depression for as long as i can remember :: i want to do something about this. this is a big fear battle for me. i'm not sure exactly what to say about what i'm going to do, but i believe that i don't have to live this way and i want to try to figure it out.

- i fear money, and more specifically the lack of it. :: as a result i haven't been to a doctor or dentist in [eek] years. i want to trust God to provide for all my needs and not let a fear of money have control over me. i want to at least schedule a visit to a doctor before the end of october.

yikes. i look at this list and get a bit nervous about following through on these things. i guess that means they're definitely a few of my fears, right? (: i'm trusting that God will honor my trust in Him, that He will not leave me, and that He will be my salvation. there are a series of hurtles laid out in front of me. now i need to jump and have faith that He will carry me over them!

day 7 :: how sweet it is

2011-10-07T22:07:00.000-07:00

Source


how sweet the name of Jesus sounds
in a believer's ear!
it soothes his sorrows, heals his wounds,
and drives away his fear.

-john newton, olney hymns

day 6 :: lights, camera...

2011-10-06T20:56:00.000-07:00

i find it a little funny that the day after i post about measuring up, i have a day scheduled from sun up to way past sun down. at some point during those 24 hours, my fear set in... what if i don't have time to post? what if i get to the end of this day and have nothing to write about? i'm seriously going to miss a day ALREADY?!

i was at dinner with a friend last night when it struck me that a big part of overcoming fear comes in doing. i was investing time in a relationship in the midst of battling the fear that i am unlovable. some of the work to cast out fear happens in our hearts and minds, yes, but some of the process happens in taking action. living it out. working through fear by doing that thing we're so afraid of. writing and thinking and studying in my apartment every day isn't bad, and i'm sure i have and will discover things through it, but there is a world of fear out there to conquer. and there are some things that require action.

"faith without deeds is dead" [james 2:14]. i know that can be interpreted in different ways, but tonight, for me, it means that if i am going to trust my God and not be afraid, i must use my doings to live it out.

day 5 :: fear not

2011-10-05T20:25:00.000-07:00

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day 4 :: on not going it alone

2011-10-04T18:57:00.000-07:00

i drove to work this morning on a flat[tening] tire.

Source

i felt like something might have been wrong but a) i had left my apartment a little late and didn't want to stop, b) i'm stubborn, and c) i didn't want anything to be wrong because of what that might mean for my day and my wallet.

so i drove, getting all the more worried about making it to work. i did make it ok. and i got out of my car and walked around and saw that my back right tire rim was nearly touching the ground.

i said a quick thank you Jesus for allowing me to make it in my stubbornness and walked inside where i started worrying about what i should do. you really should learn how to change a tire, sarah, i mumbled to myself. john had played hockey late last night so i knew he'd still be sleeping and i didn't want to wake him, but i didn't want to wait too long to ask him to come help me out either. i decided i would wait about half an hour and send him a text and hope he'd be able to help me figure this all out.

another issue with my car. how much longer do i keep putting money into this thing? how much longer before i've paid more than it's worth? how am i going to afford this? what am i going to do when it finally kicks the bucket and i have to get a new car? i have no leeway in my budget for a car payment.

i still don't know the answers to these questions. but... when john responded to my text. when he arrived and changed out my tire. when he came inside to my office and became my hero for the day... i do know that my outlook changed.

so much of my worry melted as i became thankful for having him in my life. he helps me in times of stress and anxiety. he talks calmly to me, bringing a peace to the situation. and it certainly doesn't hurt that i love his hugs. (:

we were never meant to get through this life alone.

the Lord God said, "it is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him." [gen 2:18]

carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. [gal 6:2]

all the unpredictability, burdens and general craziness of life are easier to navigate when you have someone to do it with. be it a boyfriend, a husband, a friend, a sister, a parent... fears lose some of their hold on us when we share them with someone else. we gain strength and support. we find confidence. we are blessed with relationships in our lives not just for the good, fun times, but for the difficult, scary times, too.

as iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another. [proverbs 27:17]

who is in your life helping you cast out your fears?

day 3 :: measuring up

2011-10-03T19:15:00.000-07:00

Source

the funny thing about some of my fears is that they are the very things i wish for.

i wish to live a life of love, gratitude and joy. a life that makes a difference in the lives of those i encounter. i want deep, meaningful relationships. i want to be a person who pours out genuine encouragement. i want to be someone friends come to in times of sadness and strife, a person that comforts and listens. i want to be a person who speaks the truth in love. i wish to be a person who sees meaning in everything she does, even in the mundane, the minutiae, the messy. i want to be faithful with everything. i want to give generously. i want to be patient, kind and good.

basically, i want to be a superincredibleamazingwoman. a proverbial superwoman. [see what i did there?]

but, i know who i really am. the thoughts i am capable of thinking, the hatred i can harbor. i know the ofttimes ugly condition of my heart, the emotions i let direct my word and deed.

i know i will never measure up.

and i find this to be a fear because i am afraid of how desperately i want to, yet just can't...

at least not on my own.

His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. through these things he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature... [2 peter 1:3-4]

everything. i. need. everything! He has given it to me, to you, to us. so that we may participate in the divine nature. in love, gratitude and joy. in faithfulness, generosity, patience, kindness and goodness.

His grace, sufficient for me. His power, made perfect in my weakness. He promises these things to me. i don't have to worry about how i am not measuring up. i don't have to fear failure. He's already won this battle. every day, He has already given everything i will need.

and linking up with jami and ashley

day 2 :: where the fear began

2011-10-02T11:44:00.000-07:00

two years ago today i was helping a friend host rush of fools at our church for a concert. the day had given no indication that anything unexpected would happen. i'd gone to work then headed to the church to help with set up. the show started and everyone was having a fun time. near the end of the set, i received a text from my parents asking for prayer; my niece was being taken to the hospital because she was having some trouble breathing. tori mae had been born just nine days prior. her mother, my sister, lived at home with my parents, so tori did too. i'd given her a kiss every morning for nine days and a kiss goodnight every evening for nine days. my other sister was with me at the church. we found each other, felt a bit shaken, but waited for any further news.

a phone call a bit later that evening revealed that things were really not going well, and tori was being life-flighted to a larger hospital in the area. i felt panic sweep over me as i heard a waver in my dad's voice. my sister and i told a few friends what was going on, and they prayed with us. we then set off for the hospital to meet my family. we got there, found my parents and their best friends who had driven them, along with tori's dad and his parents and together we frantically began to search for where tori and my sister had been taken upon their arrival.

we got to the picu to find a team working on little tori. after what felt like both a second and a thousand years' time, the doctor turned around to tell us that he was so sorry but there was nothing more they would be able to do. and just like that, our world changed forever.

we sat with the baby in the picu for hours, crying, weeping, in shock and disbelief. i have never felt such overwhelming emotion in my life before or since then. i then understood the word trauma. i felt so angry, angry at God that He would allow this to happen to our family. i felt an unbearable sadness by the loss we now faced. and i felt fear; i had no idea how we were going to make it through, what in the world would life be like, let alone the next day. we had lost a baby.

that night i experienced my first panic attack. i had a deep pain in my chest and my breathing became irregular. i was afraid i was going to die. i got so scared i actually slept in bed with my parents, while my mom rubbed my back to calm me down. i experienced another one the second night. and the third.

it was during this first week of grieving and mourning that fear wrapped its way around my life, imprisoning me. i became scared of dying, of pain, of losing someone else i loved. the pain that i went through was so horrific i became so afraid of having to go through it ever again. once is enough, Lord, i'd pray.

and in the last two years, i've lived in that fear. fear of the next bad thing. the next loss. the next death. my own death.

two months after tori, we lost my grandma to cancer. on december 31 john and i went to my grandma's wake, then got in the car and drove to new york. i was moving; i'd accepted a job offer and was starting that monday.

john and i had been praying for over six months that i would get a job so that i could move to where he lived and we could start our life together. i had counted it grace that i hadn't received one prior to tori, mercy that i was with my family when it all happened. but the timing of the move seemed all but. i missed my grandma's funeral. i was moving to western new york in the middle of winter. john was taking night classes. i was navigating life anew, in days and nights of seemingly endless snow. i was learning a new job, new coworkers, trying to make new friends, all while learning new roads. the move had been an answer to prayer, but looked nothing like i had expected. the whole uprooting took another toll on me. it demanded much of me, and i was weary. i turned inward, shut parts of myself off to others, embraced the coldness of winter in the depths of my own heart.

at the bottom of it all, i was afraid. everything was unfamiliar and uncomfortable. i was being stretched in every way and it hurt. i feared failure. i feared loneliness. and i was still battling the fear of death.

but i hope for this not to be a story about fear any longer. i do think part of casting out fear involves understanding where it has come from. i want to name aloud my fears and then lay them down before the feet of my Jesus, giving Him back my life, asking Him to free me from this prison.

this morning, i opened my bible to isaiah 12 where i found this verse:

surely God is my salvation;
i will trust and not be afraid.
the Lord, the Lord, is my strength and my song;
he has become my salvation.

God spoke right to my heart in these lines. i need to trust Him. and i must believe that He will save me. oh, how i want to know the power of His salvation, not only in the truth that i am going to heaven someday, but in my life this very day. i desire that he will become my salvation in the here and now.

31 days of change [i'm in]

2011-10-01T10:45:00.000-07:00

i decided ~~last minute~~ this week that i should participate in the 31 days of change that started with some lovely bloggers. write about one topic for 31 days during the month of october? sure, i'm up for a challenge and it seems like a great way to get myself to practice writing. the next question was what to write on... 31 days of recipes? 31 days of quotes? 31 days of fall? none of that really seemed like the right thing. i began to think some more...

i am opening up to a hope at this season in my life that God wants to do something in me. the Potter is softening and molding my heart. He is reshaping it. and i want to be open and pliable enough for Him to do so. if i'm honest, i have been living the last two years in fear. it has tangled its way around my heart and my mind, rendering me its prisoner. it's made me become someone i don't want to be. and instead of surrendering to it and allowing it control of my life, i feel like it is time for me to face it, to fight back, to read His words and give Him control of my life. so yesterday i decided i would devote the next 31 days to casting out fear.

i woke up this morning and, as really no surprise, i started talking myself out of it. the voice of fear loud and prominent... i didn't have any posts ready. i have no plan. how am i going to have something to write about for 31. days. straight.? i started to be talked out of it.

i got up and went out to start cleaning my apartment building and that's when i saw it. a spider. [or spee-ider if you're a megamind fan (: ] i live in the country now and these things are bigger than any i've ever seen in my life. immediately my body froze. chills formed up and down my legs and arms. my heart started racing.

fear.

and as i started to move myself from this paralytic state, i thought of how tired i am of living like this. paralyzed. uncomfortable. scared. chained. and so many of my fears are so tiny, just like that spider, compared to the size of me. and the size of my God. and that's when my determination came back.

there's no turning back now, friends. starting today i'm fighting. it's no longer welcome in the home of my heart. i'm casting out fear.

will you join me?

there are literally hundreds of bloggers around the blogosphere jumping in today to begin 31 days of change. i looked over the link ups already posted and there are so many great topics. you can see them all here. i have no idea what these next 31 days are going to look like, but i'm praying and trusting that God is going to do some big things in my heart and my life.

"...for perfect love casts out fear" [1 john 4:18]

day 2 :: where the fear began
day 3 :: measuring up
day 4 :: on not going it alone
day 5 :: fear not
day 6 :: lights, camera...
day 7 :: how sweet it is
day 8 :: ...action!
day 9 :: You never let go
day 10 :: ten on ten
day 11 :: forgotten
day 12 :: His word
day 13 :: tonight
day 14 :: when we kneel
day 15 :: pregnancy and infant loss remembrance day
day 16 :: knowing His voice
day 17 :: first steps
day 18 :: peace
day 19 :: it's ok
day 20 :: give thanks for today
day 21 :: be prepared
day 24 :: my love
day 25 :: [not] decorating out of fear
day 26 :: confidence
day 27 :: notions
day 31 :: this is not the end

fall wreath [diy]

2011-09-29T10:59:00.000-07:00

this week's inspiration workshop is all about DIY. i made fall wreaths last week to give to my family and friends when i visited home and thought it would be the perfect time to share. i've read many great tutorials on wreaths and felt flowers so i'm not really doing anything new. just how i've done it myself (:

the craft stores were having really great sales last week as we rounded the corner to fall and, thanks to heather's blog, i was also armed with coupons. [i love a good deal!] i bought several 12" grapevine wreaths to use with this project. i also bought felt in a mustard yellow color. i think it's very fall-ish and i liked the way it looked against the color of the wreaths.

the first step to making the felt flowers is to cut circles. i used a bowl and mug to trace circles...

after tracing, i cut. and i cut. then i cut some more.

as you can see i wasn't too worried about having perfect circles...

because after all the circles were cut out, i went back with my scissors and created a wavy type border around them.

from here i cut a spiral into the felt starting from an outer point. when i got to the inside i clipped an end to form a point.

i made five wreaths so after all the cutting was done, i was left with this:

i plugged in my hot glue gun, and started rolling the felt to create the flowers. unfortunately, my hands were full between the rolling and gluing and i did not get a picture of this step. but, i started rolling from the inside of the circle to the outside, but you can also start from the outside and roll in. when it was all wrapped up, i put a little line of glue on the end and pressed it into the side of the flower.

after they were all glued, i trimmed up the edges on some a bit. this was just my personal preference in the way they looked.

beautiful! for my own ocd and organized behavior, i laid out the flowers once they were all done. (: because i'd used a mug and a bowl to make my circles, i ended up with [roughly] two different sized flowers.

from here i picked and chose the flowers to put on each wreath. i initially laid them out in a very evenly-spaced big one, little one, big one, etc. pattern, but john helped me move them around a bit to achieve a not so orderly and more organic look.

once they were all laid out, i put a circle of hot glue on the bottom of each flower and pressed it into the wreath for a few seconds. because the surface of the wreaths are so uneven, i wanted to make sure it had time to form a good hold to the flower. and voila! here are my wreaths!

i am so happy with the final product[s]! i love that john has an eye for these things and am so much happier with them being not quite so perfect and exact and being a little more unplanned and wild. (: i was so excited to have handmade gifts to give to my family and my friends, too. and they are such a pretty way to add some fall to your home!

what fun fall crafts are you making this year?

my fav'rite fall things

2011-09-28T09:33:00.000-07:00

there are so many things to love about autumn. the gorgeous colors on the trees as they start to turn, the way it feels to slip your feet into boots, the crisp sounds of leaves and the crisp feel of the air... let's embrace the season with a little song, shall we?

Source

*cue strings!*

pumpkin spice lattes, corn mazes with cider,

hoodies, apple pickin' and cuddling by fires,

jumping in crunchy leaves fall'n from the trees,

these are a few of my fav'rite fall things...

Source

when the temps drop,

when the trees turn,

when my nose starts to run,

i simply remember my fav'rite fall things,

and the season so full of fun!

Source

deep shades of yellow and orange and purple,

cooler crisp air, cardigans, sweaters of wool,

scarves wrapped 'round necks, skinny jeans, leather boots,

these are a few of my fav'rite fall things...

when the temps drop,

when the trees turn,

when my nose starts to run,

i simply remember my fav'rite fall things,

and the season so full of fun!

what are your fav'rite things about fall?

fall fun

2011-09-26T17:16:00.000-07:00

it is officially fall! woot woot!

i went home to new jersey this weekend to visit with my family and some of my best friends. i was there for less than 48 hours but packed lots of fall fun in! my family and i went apple picking on saturday. my niece had been asking my sister to take her for weeks, but i'm so glad they waited for me to come with them. i love spending time with her as she is growing up and becoming her own little person. we went out to a local farm and rode on a hayride to get to the apple orchards.

my sister and niece

there were rows and rows of apples, so delicious!

heather, working on her balancing skills...

after we picked all that we wanted, we headed back, where kaylee declared that someday, when she grew up, she would be back to work here. our little farmer (:

we pet the cutest little calf and took some more fun pictures.

like mother, like daughter!

i am loving all of the activities and fun that come with fall! and i'm so glad i got to celebrate the season with my family (:

tori [mae]

2011-09-23T00:01:00.000-07:00

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today is tori mae's second birthday. two years since my sister went early and unexpectedly into labor. two years since we sat in the hospital waiting room anticipating the arrival of this baby girl. two years since her big sister named her new little sister ice cream. two years since i helped my sister pick her middle name. two years since our family was shaken in a way we never expected.

some days i can remember those nine days and the weeks after as though they were yesterday, and other days it seems so very far away.

happy birthday, tori mae.

little ice cream, i know you are celebrating with our Father each and every day. some days it's hard not to wonder what if and why. and who you would be now, at two. i love you, baby girl, and i so look forward to being with you again.

this i call to mind and therefore i have hope:

because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed,

for his compassions never fail.

they are new every morning;

great is your faithfulness.

[lam 3:21-23]

His heart for you [and me]

2011-09-20T18:42:00.000-07:00

if you're anything like me, you know what God says about you in your head, but there can be a disconnect from knowing it in your heart. i was raised in a christian home and have gone to church my entire life. i know that He says i am wonderfully made by Him, that i am chosen by Him, that He loves me unconditionally. and yet there are so many moments i don't live like i am, simply because it's not true in my heart.

i want to fully know and believe these things in my heart. for whatever reason, there seems to be this almost impenetrable wall guarding my heart from being engulfed by these truths.

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it's a journey though, right? and i have seen, little by little, through circumstances and situations in my life, ways that He has broken me with these truths.

one way He has done that is through holley gerth's book God's heart for you. i felt blessed to receive it in the mail and then open it up to find holley had signed it, too! [you're loved!] each chapter in the book is only a few pages long, but every word matters. it's written as a devotional with 40 chapters devoted to 40 truths about my worth. i'm driven right to the scriptures, where His words of love wait for me...

on a day when things to be done pile higher and higher and my workload feels more and more impossible, i read... i am enough.

on a lonely day, where things are too quiet, my spirit is low, and i'm feeling disconnected, i read... i am loved.

on the day my car goes in to the shop for yet another repair, and a bill arrives in the mail, and it's time to go to the grocery store, i read... i am provided for.

on a day i feel ashamed, or angry at myself for losing my patience too quickly again or speaking harsh words, i read... i am forgiven.

reading holley's own discovery of these truths as a daughter of the King and the bible verses and prayers that accompany each truth bring assurance, reminder and a strengthening to the way i see myself. i also hope to see others around me the way He does as i internalize these truths. because for as much as i am enough, loved, and forgiven, so are my those around me.

i received holley's book and a bookmark thanks to the wonderful people at blessings unlimited. i was given it in exchange for this review. [all opinions are mine.] if you'd like a copy of the book or to look at other products by blessings unlimited, you may find a consultant here.

today

2011-09-14T15:38:00.000-07:00

today i worked from home. yes, that is a big smile on my face. i loved having the opportunity to do so, and i enjoyed every moment of my lovely day...

i slept in, but actually started working earlier. [read: i didn't shower! *gasp*]

i got to make a pot of coffee, as opposed to a quick keurig cup.

i sipped my coffee slowly, while it was still warm. i spent time in the Word. i cooked myself breakfast.

i had a very productive morning. i made a to-do list and felt focused and motivated to tackle a few work projects. i live alone, with no pets, and essentially no distractions, but i also think i felt so focused because i really love my apartment and feel inspired in this space.

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i did some laundry.

i took a break mid-morning to shower. can't be stinky all day! (:

it was a gorgeous, sunny day with temps right around 70, so i took a little bike ride at lunchtime. while out i picked these ~~weeds~~ wildflowers for my dining room table.

i made myself a condensed to-do list after lunch [yay for a productive morning!] and got back to it!

i worked a bit later than my usual workday. i think i'm finding that an ideal working situation for myself is to work in the morning, have a few hours off in the early afternoon, then come back for a few more hours later on in the day. unfortunately i'm an 8-5er but it was nice to naturally fall into that rhythm today and feel more energized and productive during my work times. have i mentioned i really love working from home?!

now i'm off to watch some episodes of picker sisters online and wait for my stud to get out of class and come visit me! we'll probably watch this:

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here's to a lovely wednesday, friends!

ten on ten [september edition]

2011-09-11T19:39:00.000-07:00

one photo [every hour] for ten hours.

[1] love lazy saturday mornings at home [2] freshly washed sheets on the bed... can't wait to sleep in them! [3] crafty, crafty [4] finally ready to go out for the day [5] my stud and i decided to take a drive. it was a beautiful afternoon. we live in a beautiful area of the country. [6] cows, rolling green hills, sun... that's enough to make me ask my stud stop the car so i can get a picture (: [7] windblown hair courtesy of a gorgeous afternoon drive with the windows down [8] the book we're starting to read with some friends [9] worship service at church [that's my stud playing bass in the back (: ] [10] a gorgeous sunset, delicious coffee, and i'm ready to start my evening

linking up with...

fotografías

2011-09-09T12:11:00.000-07:00

while i don't have the budget for a sweet and fancy smartphone, i do at least have a phone with a camera in it! so i thought it would be fun to participate in an instafriday! here are some pictures from my life over the last couple weeks...

[1] starting the weekend off right with a cup of coffee and the new ikea catalogue [2] not just regular old brownies... turtle brownies [3] my latest borders bargains [4] we like to call them beer rings. you know, like tree rings, they let you know how long your beer's been sitting there [5] i had a craving for chicken wings this week. fortunately we live in western new york (: [6] sending off lanterns [just like tangled!] at my friends' wedding [7] no words necessary

[books]

2011-09-08T04:13:00.000-07:00

i love reading. even more than reading, i love buying books. as sad as i feel about borders going out of business, i've been taking advantage of all of the final sales and have been able to get a few books i've wanted for a while... and some i didn't know i wanted yet. (:

this week's inspiration workshop prompt from gussy sews is inspiring books. i knew i wouldn't be able to pick just one book to write about, so i decided to share my favorite book designer with you. allow me to introduce the work of coralie bickford-smith:

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i find her book designs gorgeous. she has designed covers for many classic books, and i. want. them. all. what an amazing collection to have! here are some of the individual covers:

source, source, source, source

i am so in...

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in the words of rachel zoe... i die! i dream of owning a home with a library/study, filled with these stunning books...

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...and an adorable puppy (: i find her work so beautiful. and hopefully someday soon, i will own some!

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focus

2011-09-07T12:12:00.000-07:00

lists. i love to make them. i love to cross things off of them. but the in between part - the doing? that can be my least favorite part. i recently went through a few weeks at work where my task list got longer and longer with no end in sight. at those times where there all of a sudden seem to be a thousand things that need to be done ~~yesterday~~ now, i succumb to feeling overwhelmed very easily.

there are usually many things i wish to accomplish in my evenings, too - cooking dinner, doing laundry, blogging, cleaning, reading [harry potter!], crafting, spending time with friends and my stud. and for some reason [just the way i'm wired, i suppose] when i feel like i'm trying to fit in too much, i give up in a sense and end up just spending my time on the couch watching hour after hour of reality tv on hulu.

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my focus jets around in so many different directions. i don't remember feeling this overwhelmed by options when i was younger. the older i get, the more it seems is available to me. the internet alone has made this possible in infinite ways. [pinterest, anyone?] i become a little panicky and frantic, allowing myself to think here, then there, open this, then start looking at that, begin reading here, then looking there.

and after a little while, i find myself exhausted. and having gotten nowhere.

contrary to popular belief, it really isn't possible to multitask well. i can't give something my all, unless i am all there. 100%. undivided. focused.

i've found this to be so true in my writing. before finding and being introduced to countless blogs out there to read, or pinterest images to be inspired by, or shows of all sorts to watch, i simply got into my groove and wrote. i spent time thinking. i wrote for more than 20 seconds before clicking to check my facebook or my twitter feed. before becoming distracted to find that perfect picture to go with that blog post. i don't think these are bad things, in and of themselves. but i have to pause at times and question what i am sacrificing in my writing, in the working out of my thoughts, in the reflecting and refining of my heart? am i losing a piece of who i am by allowing everything around me to infuse with what's inside of me?

i believe in some ways i am.

i need to create those spaces for myself. those spaces for Him to speak to me, not the internet. how am i to hear what He wants to do with my life when i'm busying myself looking at others? how can i create when i'm spending my time looking at things already created?

inspiration is a beautiful thing. but if all i do is find inspiration but do nothing with it, i become nothing more than a bystander. i watch life go by around me, without ever embracing and living my own in abundance.

i want to give myself focus. to be pure and true to myself. to hear from Him. i want my eyes to be solely and only on Him. when i do, the details, to-do's, the pulling and pushing fade away, and what is truly important comes to the surface. and from there i am able to see with clarity to do the things He wants me to do.

i lift up my eyes to the hills-
where does my help come from?
my help comes from the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth
[psalm 121:1-2]

linking with sweet casey here.

from montezuma to homer

2011-09-01T05:29:00.000-07:00

my parents came to visit a few weeks ago because ~~they wanted to visit their oldest daughter~~ they'd heard about a 50 mile garage sale held annually in the finger lakes region. a 50 mile stretch from montezuma to homer, new york! they said it was a practice one for another one that crosses state lines across the mississippi.

i was pretty excited about the idea. in the last few years, i've really come to enjoy seeing what other people have treasured and now consider trash. (:

we did a little bit of yard sale-ing around my neighborhood friday and stumbled upon a church rummage sale. and ohmygoodness were we starting out right! rows of tables lined with tons of stuff... and the deal of the day was to get a plastic bag, fit as much in as you can, and pay $2. here's what i came away with for $2!:

after that success, we were ready to do some serious damage in the finger lakes on saturday. an early start, a little bit of a drive, some starbucks and we took part in our first miles-long garage sale! i went with a budget and a list of things i was hoping to find, including burlap, vintage frames, wooden crates and ceramic animals. i came away with nearly everything on my list:

i got these scraps of fabric for free! can't wait to use them on some yarn wreaths!

these guys are just waiting to be spray painted! ;)

there was so much to take in, and some folks had some really amazing finds. if you were in the market for a vintage motorcycle, you would have had plenty to choose from! [i'd love to have gotten one for my stud, but my budget was a bit too small for that!]

and then there were the things that made you go... huh?!

but my favorite find of the day was something that wasn't on my list. and i was so excited when i saw that the prompt for this week's inspiration workshop was vintage. i fell in love with this piece of luggage the moment i saw it. it was marked make offer. i'm so terrible at that; luckily my mom is a pro! well, $7 later i came home with a piece of vintage hartmann luggage.

i love the leather and the pattern inside. it's in such good condition, too. and i think it's so fun that it has someone's name in it!

the whole day was, in a word, crazy. there were literally miles upon miles of homes, churches, etc. selling all kinds of things. what seemed like hundreds of cars moved in packs [herds?] along a road that had a very small shoulder on either side. oh, and restrooms? practically non-existent. we had to travel for about 45 mins and get off the yard sale road just to find a porta-potty! where we also saw this:

um, ew. however, from time to time, the road would open up, and we'd catch a glimpse of lake conesus.

with my success in finds and the gorgeous views, i'd say if this was a warm up for a cross country adventure, i can't wait for summer 2012! [are you in, mom and dad? (: ]

a to z, me

2011-08-30T20:07:00.000-07:00

"getting to know you... getting to know all about you..."

any the king and i fans out there? when i was younger, it was my favorite movie. i loved sleeping over at my grandma's house because it didn't matter how many times we'd seen it; she always let me put it on again.and i, in turn, watched the golden girls with her.

"you are precisely my cup of tea..." (:

it's the first week of classes of this academic year. my office is across the hall from a classroom where classes have been taking place yesterday and today, filled with first year students. i've overhead the professors start each class with a little "get to know you" activity or question. i usually think these things are kind of cheesy at first [ok, or i just get stressed about what i'm going to say], but then enjoy them as people start to open up and we get to know one another!

all that to say, i've seen a little questionnaire on a few blogs recently and thought it was fun to read the responses and get to know more about some lovely bloggers. i thought i'd do the same!

me and some total. legit. bedhead. (:

{a} age :: twenty-seven

{b} bed size :: double

{c} chore you hate :: killing bugs! [when you live in the country, it is a chore!]

{d} dogs :: none - though john and i talk about the dogs we want to have someday and i frequent this website and wish i could rescue all these pups :(

{e} essential start to your day :: coffee, followed by more coffee (:

{f} favorite color :: i love combinations. right now i'm loving turquoise, olive green, mustard yellow, and browns.

{g} gold or silver :: white gold

{h} height :: 5'9

{i} instruments you play :: i played the flute for 9 years

{j} job title :: communication and events administrative assistant

{k} kids :: none... yet!

{l} live :: western new york

{m} maiden name :: champignon [we've americanized it and pronounce it champion (: ]

{n} nicknames :: champ, sar sar, sarah beth [my middle name]

{o} overnight hospital stays :: none

{p} pet peeve :: people driving five miles under the speed limit and people tailgating me when i'm driving the speed limit or more [oh, driving... have i mentioned i'm from jersey?!]

{q} quote :: let love explode and bring the dead to life. let hope arise and make the darkness hide [daniel bashta - like a lion]

{r} righty or lefty :: lefty

{s} siblings :: two younger sisters, heather and laura

{t} time you wake up :: 6:25am [after my alarm goes off at 6, 6:10 and 6:20!]

{u} university attended :: malone university [it was malone college when i attended... 5 years ago. yikes!]

{v} vegetables you dislike :: brussels sprouts. i'm also fickle about onions and tomatoes.

{w} what makes you run late :: checking my emails, facebook and blogs

{x} x-rays you’ve had :: teeth and one foot

{y} yummy food :: so many to choose from! some of my favs include mexican food, biscottis, new jersey bagels, and ice cream

{z} zoo animal favorite :: elephants

your turn, friends! tell me something to help me get to know you better!

i'm loving musicals, thoughts of my grandma, and new friends!

fill_in_the_blanks

2011-08-26T08:56:00.000-07:00

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to have some extra fun today before the weekend starts, i decided to

participate with lauren in fill in the blank friday! here we go!

1. One of life's most simple pleasures is watching the sun set .

2. Sloooow drivers makes me want to punch someone.

3. I like my boyfriend because, he cooks me yummy meals .

4. onomatopoeia is a funny word. [it helps that we learned how to spell it in school to the tune of 'old macdonald.' i can't think of it without singing it in my head... or out loud.]

5. If I had to choose one beauty product to use for the rest of eternity it would be nail polish .

6. I'm happy that my college roommate is coming to visit for the weekend. it's been a year since i saw her last! .

7. I would never say never ;) .

this week at work we brought in a new group of masters' students. a new school year has arrived! we worked some long days this week, so i am certainly looking forward to the weekend and having some adventures with my college roomie! i hope you have a lovely weekend, friends!

inspiration workshop [favorite color]

2011-08-25T12:37:00.000-07:00

time for another inspiration workshop! this week's prompt was favorite color. as i've been decorating my home, i have used a combination of the same colors in different shades in each of my rooms. it actually was not a completely conscious idea; i think it just naturally defines me and what i like! i love greens, blues, yellows, and browns. and right now i'm totally digging olive green, turquoise, mustard yellow, and dark brown.

shutters on the dining room windows, my first yarn wreath, burlap bag from a yard sale, decorations on my built-ins

some of the material i scored FREE at a yard sale, more fun decor, pillows from the one and only target, lovely shutter

i love that God created colors. and i love the way He has mixed and combined them all over the earth and how beautiful and inspiring that is. blue in the ocean and the sky, green grass, the yellow sun and in flowers, brown trees... we live in a beautiful world.

sitting under fig trees

2011-08-24T09:20:00.000-07:00

we had a half-day retreat at work yesterday, where i was introduced to this beautiful prayer:

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o God of timelessness and time,
we thank You for our time
and for those things that are yet possible and precious in it:
daybreak and beginning again,
midnight and the touch of angels,
the taming of demons in the dance of dreams;
a word of forgiveness,
and sometimes a song,
for our breathing... our lives.

thank You for the honesty which marks friends and makes laughter;
for fierce gentleness which dares to speak the truth in love
and tugs us to join the long march toward peace;
for sudden gusts of grace which rise
unexpectedly in our wendings from dawn to dawn;
for children unabashed,
wind rippling a rain puddle,
a mockingbird in the darkness,
a colleague and a cup of coffee;
for all the mysteries of loving,
for our bodies next to others' bodies;
for music and silence,
for wrens and Orion,
for everything that moves us to tears,
to touching, to dreams, to prayers;
for our longings... our lives.

thank You for work which engages us in internal debates between right and reward
and stretches us toward responsibility to those who pay for our work,
and to those who cannot pay because they have no work.
for justice which repairs the devastations of poverty;
for liberty which extends to the captives of violence;
for healing which binds up the broken bodied and broken hearted;
for broken bread for all the hungry of the earth;
for good news of love which is stronger than death;
and for peace for all to sit under fig trees and not be afraid;
for our callings... our lives.

thank You for the sharp senses of timeless stirring in our time,
and Your praise in our hearts;
for the undeniable awareness, quick as now,
that the need of You is the truth of us,
and Your presence with us is the truth of You,
which sets us free for others,
for joy,
and for You;
for Your grace... and our lives... forever.

[ted loder, guerrillas of grace: prayers for the battle]

my front porch

2011-08-18T05:53:00.000-07:00

i dream of having a home with a front porch someday. a place to start my day and a place to end it. a place to sit with friends and share our hearts. a place to read. a place to snuggle with my stud.

my dream front porch would be a wrap around, overlooking the beach...

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with plenty of comfy seating...

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and coffee, iced or warm...

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with bright pops of color...

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and a hammock...

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and filled with the sounds of friends and family! (:

ah, i feel relaxed just thinking about it! have a lovely thursday, friends! and check out other fun front porches here:

a little bit goes a long way

2011-08-16T06:20:00.000-07:00

i had bananas who had clearly seen better days so i decided to make banana walnut bread. i stopped at the store and picked up walnuts because i thought they were the only ingredient i didn't already have at home. i jumped right in with the mixing and measuring only to find that i didn't have any baking soda. the recipe called for a teaspoon. just a teaspoon? i'll just skip it.

big. mistake.

when i took the bread out of the oven, it was flat, dense and un-breadlike. after a little post-oops research i found out that the little amount of baking soda i deemed unimportant was the one important thing i needed in order for the bread to rise.

i'm kind of ashamed to even post this picture!

___________________

a friend and i were talking about our guys and our relationships, and she asked me if john and i had ever discussed the five love languages. we really haven't, but i had to read the children's version of the book in college, and i commented that i have come to realize that when john takes even just 10 minutes to really talk to me, [no responding to texts in the middle of our conversation, no playing games on the itouch, nothing else in hand, and the same goes for me, too; i'm just as guilty!] i feel validated, heard, and loved. i don't get so grumpy if we don't see each other for the next 2 or 3 days because that little act of speaking my love language of quality time fills my love tank up.

___________________

sometimes [i'd even say a lot of the time] it takes little time or effort on our part to make an impact. little notes from my stud, and i feel an incredible amount of love for days. a simple text from a friend in the morning letting me know she's thinking of me helps get me through what might otherwise have been a defeating day. a little thoughtfulness, intentionality and the choice to act can have an effect that multiplies a simple gift into something much bigger.

it's wrong to think that i shouldn't act if i'm not able to donate a million dollars towards a charity, end world hunger, or provide clean drinking water for a country. we don't always see the full repercussions of our actions. a kind word, a warm meal, or an invitation to coffee might produce a ripple that touches many, many more lives than ever imagined. or it might bless one person or family. in either case, we have the opportunity and responsibility to act. the little things do matter. and God calls us to be faithful in the little first.

might i encourage you to do a little thing for someone today?

the great I Am

2011-08-15T05:25:00.000-07:00

day and night they never stop saying:
"holy, holy, holy
is the Lord God Almighty,
who was, and is, and is to come."
[rev 4:8]

"hallelujah, holy holy
God Almighty, Great I Am
who is worthy
none beside Thee
God Almighty
Great I Am"

ten on ten [august edition]

2011-08-10T19:13:00.000-07:00

[1] morning tea in my new turquoise tea kettle [2] breakfast at work: waffles sandwiches with a cream cheese filling. yum! [3] a trip to one of my favorite places [4] the clouds turned black, thunder rumbled, and it began to pour. [5] an hour later, the sun was back [6] next to the bible, the ap stylebook is my go-to book. grammar nerds unite! [7] the sky was so amazing today [8] my new $7 piece of decor from the clearance section at target. i'm hoping to get my spray paint on with this one! [9] delicious dinner [10] more incredible sky on an evening bike ride. so incredible that i have to share a few more pictures...

a little update

2011-08-09T19:01:00.000-07:00

it has been a crazy fun week [and then some!]. here's where i've been!

- the thursday before last my parents came into town for the weekend! it had been almost a year since they'd been up to visit and it was great to get some time with them and share a little more of life here. [it's my not-so-secret goal to get them to move to new york. they've visited in both summer and fall, the best times to convince them of this. unfortunately for some reason it's hard to get them to forget about all the snow winter brings. (: ]

- while they were here we explored a 50-mile garage sale from montezuma to homer. [how fun is that to say?!] i made some great finds [more to come on that soon!]

- last week was kingdom bound, the annual summer christian music festival here in western ny. i had the privilege of working there for my job. so. much. fun! we talked with people from all around the country and canada, helped put on youth ministry seminars, and saw a few shows! i saw skillet perform from 7 rows back [as in, close enough to feel the heat off the flames exploding from their stage!]. i finally saw the classic crime. they are one of my favorite bands and they played my two favorite songs. can i get a woot woot?! (: my friends' brothers mcclurg also played at the festival. tuesday was the release day for their super awesome album alive. if you want some new worship music, check them and their new album out here.

- friday night turned into an impromptu date night, which was absolutely lovely after a long week. dinner at moe's + a trip to borders to begin browsing their clearance sales + my stud = a very happy me.

ps moe's new taco stackers? delish!

and now here we are. things are much quieter this week. i like myself a bit of routine, so even though life has been super fun the last two weeks, i'm ok with getting rid of the crazy for a little while. (:

the busy-ness brought on a bit of a blog break, for which i'm also grateful. if i'm honest, i was getting too caught up in keeping up, looking left and right at what others were doing, and measuring myself against it all. i was losing the freedom to fully appreciate and encourage the incredible bloggers i've found in this journey. stepping away and living life outside of the internet brought the space i needed to allow God to breath His perspective on me. the best person i can be is the me He created, and the plan He has for my life is perfect for me. it's not going to look the same as anyone else's and that's a-okay. in fact it's beautiful. i'm blessed to share in His plan for so many other lovely women through their blogs. each journey looks different, but our destination is the same: Jesus Christ. how freeing! it reminds me of a song we sing [and act out] with our kids at sunday school. (:

i am free to run,

i am free to dance,

i am free to live for you,

i am free,

yes i am free!

we are free to be who we are... running, dancing or writing about our lives, encouraging one another, and building each other up. all in the freedom that He Himself paid the price for. thank you, Jesus!

you can take the girl outta jersey...

2011-07-28T08:50:00.000-07:00

although i've lived in western new york for the last year and a half, and spent six years living in ohio, i am by birth, by heart, by choice a jersey girl! the beach, [or the shore, as we call it (: ] is part of who i am.

i love the beach for so many reasons...

...a friend was sharing this week how he knows someone who knows with absolutely certainty the presence of God whenever he hears the sound of waves. i, too, find peace for my soul, rest for my body, and joy for my heart at the beach.

...the beach makes me SO happy. i can't even put into adequate words why, but when i'm there my entire self revels. there is nothing that can keep a smile off my face. i feel at home.

...the shore was, in ways, a rite of passage for us jersey girls. i took a few vacas with some of my best friends when were teenagers and reuniting in summers home from college. it's pretty hilarious for us to look back on these trips now. we felt so grown up then. (: i love these girls and the memories we make so much. they are my lifelong friends. it's our dream that someday, someday, we will all get together for another vaca... this time with husbands and kids in tow... my, my, how far we've come!

join the fun!